Comedian Charlie Murphy dies following leukemia battle

Chloe Melas, CNN |
4/12/2017, 5:23 p.m.

(CNN) -- Comedian Charlie Murphy died Wednesday after a battle with leukemia, according to his publicist.

Murphy was 57.

A long time comic, Murphy rose to fame for his work on Dave Chapelle's popular "Chapelle's Show," where he was a co-star and writer.

His recurring skit "Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories," which recalled celebrity encounters he and his younger brother Eddie Murphy had with Rick James, Prince and others, became cult hits.

A New York City native, Murphy toured with comedians George Lopez and D.L. Hughley. Fellow comedian Chris Rock, took to Twitter when news broke of his passing: "We just lost one of the funniest most real brothers of all time. Charlie Murphy RIP."

Murphy also appeared in several movies including: "Jungle Fever," "Lottery Ticket," and "CB4."

One day before his death, Murphy tweeted: "One to Sleep On: Release the past to rest as deeply as possible."

Murphy's wife, Tisha Taylor Murphy, died from cervical cancer in 2009. He is survived by his brother and three children.